Trick Or Treat?

I LOVE Halloween, I always have. I have always thought it was so fun to dress up and get free candy from people. 

I had these neighbors when I was little that gave out Dunkin Donuts Donut Holes as treats. They probably still do but I haven't lived near that neighborhood since I was 10. As long as you were in the first HUGE group to come they would have it for you. I was almost always in the top 5 and since they LOVED me I would get those choose the 3 donut holes I liked best. (almost always I chose two glazed chocolate and one regular glazed!) No one else had that privilege.

Anyway, We never really decorated for Halloween in my house growing up. We always got pumpkins but besides a couple decorations that was about it. I am not bitter about it I completely understand. I am the youngest of 10 by the time my parents got to the end of the line I am sure all their Halloween wind was GONE! :) (Although, I am not really sure my parents were ever huge fans.) I think though, that maybe my parents indifference to the "holiday" made it so that I had a greater love for it. Especially since I have children now I want to make it special for them and let them know this is the day to have fun! I think I have succeeded. Riley talks about Halloween year round. She is planning what she wants to be next year before she has even decided for this year. This is the trick or treat part....

Treat: I love how Riley gets so excited to get dressed up
Trick: She actually has to make up her mind about a costume. We go through four a DAY!

Treat: Riley gets to help pick out the costumes for Dale, Makenna and I.
Trick. Three more costumes she cant decide on and more time spent trying to come to a conclusion.

Treat: Being able and wanting to make all the costumes
Trick: Being able and wanting to make all the costumes

Treat: Decorating for something fun
Trick: Having no decorating skills and limited decorations.

Treat: Costumes
Trick: Costumes handmade or store bought both end up being TOO expensive!

I have to take the tricks with the treats because seeing my girls, mainly Riley Bug for now, getting excited about it all is worth it! I am trying to teach myself how to do Halloween on a budget and so far its working but I still have 2 costumes to START and 2 to finish...

Poser

Cling Fest 2010

Well, we finally had Makennas 1 year doctors appointment.

The doc was very impressed with her growth and her smarts!

(so am i of course)

She has NEVER been so clingy at a doctors appointment but I think, maybe, she sensed my tenseness and/or somehow knew what was waiting for her in the room.

Shots are never fun!

The stats were a little surprising even to me!

Height: 30 in 75th percentile

Weight: 21 lbs 8 oz 50th percentile

Head Circumference: 46 cm 75th percentile

Please tell me how MY daughter, the product of Dale and I ended up in the SEVENTY FIFTH percentile for height? 

The big head I understand... But HEIGHT?

She is always surprising me!

I couldn't help but think how chubby she might look if she was a couple inches shorter.....

:)

This is what happened when...

Riley 

was to distracted by her little sister 

 REFUSED to sit still in her chair, kept playing drop the utensil, and wouldn't finish her food!

She wasn't happy.

Cool Morning

Today was the first morning (that I was actually awake for) that was cool enough that I thought it was a PERFECT day to take Mak to the park for the first time!

So the second we dropped Bug off for her second day of preschool we headed to the park!

Mak loved it!! 

She went down the slide a couple times

She played on the swing

She felt the strange sensation of sand between her toes for the first time

Had at her first chance to eat sand and rocks.....

And she was super cute doing it all!!

(doesn't this picture just crack you up?) 

It Begins

My days of sitting at home enjoying my girls and being a lazy bum are OVER! 

Today was Riley's first day of preschool and I already have found myself making little routines for the day ahead. 

(what am i a mom or something?)

Really though, its all about this girl

 Little Miss preschool herself!

She has been talking about going to preschool with her cousins for 4 months and it sure didn't disappoint! 

She was ready to go and nothing was going to stop her!

My little girl is growing up so fast!

I wasn't sure how I was going to react today. When I would picture it in my head I couldn't help but feel a little sad that Bug was growing up. But today, when I saw her in her class, not caring if I was even on the planet at that moment in time all I could feel was pride with not a tinge of sadness that she wasn't going to be with me for parts of the day. Maybe I was even a little relieved that someone was giving her learning opportunities that I would have NO IDEA how to go about giving her. 

(not even a tear.)

My little girl is growing up. She is independent, social and crazy smart and I am so proud of her. 

Sun Kissed

The pool has been our getaway this weekend and we are grateful!

Fresh tan lines and sleepy girls are 2 of my favorite things!

Makenna

Makenna,

My sweet little girl! I cant believe you are one now and I am having a hard time admitting that you have grown so much. Its hard to deny it when I look at the proof in pictures but that doesn't make it any less hard to accept.

You were the sweetest little thing in the hospital. No one could stop staring at you, especially me. Your sweet cheeks and lips were, and still are, so hard to stop kissing and nuzzling.

Everyone was instantly in love with you. Especially Riley Bug. She finally had her sister with her and she, like the rest of us, could not stop kissing and holding you. You were best friends from the beginning!

                                       (September)

Watching you sleep was so calming. You attached to your Daddy and the second you got into his arms you would drift into sleep and neither of us could look away!

                                   (October)
You have the biggest smile that just keeps getting bigger and brighter. Your grandpa says that when you smile your whole body smiles with you. That is the whole truth. You start wiggling your body and hands and when you're happy you just cant hold still.

                                 (November)
Your personality is contagious. When you are feeling goofy everyone feels goofy and when you are sad we cant help but feel sad with you.

             (December)
You are smarter than words. Everyday Daddy and I are surprised by the things you have learned to do.

                   (January)
You love your thumb very much! I hope this habit doesn't stick for too much longer but it sure is cute now! It doesn't matter what you are doing your thumb is in your mouth almost all day. While your laughing, eating, playing or sleeping!

                           (February)
You just keep getting more gorgeous every stinkin' day.

Proof.......

                         (March)

                                      (April)

You have the most beautiful olive green color eyes! When the sun hits them just right they are the most beautiful color green. I don't know how both of my girls ended up escaping the brown eyes but I am so glad you did!

                                  (May)

Poor girl, you cant grow hair fast enough and you don't like things touching your head! If you end up like me you are going to bald until you are 4. Sorry for that trait! You will just have to get used to head bands!

                             (June)

You LOVE the water. The first time we went to the splash pad you weren't quite sure about it but it really grew on you. You love to play in the water whatever form it comes in! The first few times we went to the pool you were so relaxed. Daddy and I could have held you the whole time and just wade and you were happy! Now, though, you think you are a pro swimmer. You have tried letting go of anyone holding you and sticking your head under the water all by yourself and kicking your legs to swim! You are a fish! I hope you still love it as much next year!

                        (July)

You have THE BEST facial expressions. When I take pictures of you I love to just keep the camera on you for a few minutes to see exactly what faces you will pull next! I cant stop watching you all day for the same reason! 

                            (August)

(Yes this is the dress I made for her and this is my attempt at a quick indoor photo shoot with horrible lighting. She is still cute no matter what though!)

I love you Mak. You are so sweet and I cant wait to see what the next year holds!

Pasghetti

Mak had her first serving of spaghetti last night! 

(Not because I thought she needed to wait but because I really haven't ever cooked diner when she was awake to enjoy it! Dales new schedule is amazing!)

Any way, she LOVED it!

Before...

After...

She was one happy baby with a nice full tummy!

I didn't get the high chair after because I forgot but trust me when I say almost no food was left behind! Even if there was a mess! :)

Domestic Bandwagon

Today I jumped on the domestic bandwagon. 

Tons of people nowadays are making clothes for themselves and their little ones. I wanted to join the party and make something special for my girls. Something that I could look at and be proud of!

I have been waning to start sewing my girls dresses for a while but never had a really had a specific reason to motivate me. A couple months ago I found a clearance dress at the fabulous Target and decided I wanted to cut it up and make the each of the girls a dress! The fabric has been sitting around since then until finally it hit me... Mak needs a cute unique outfit for her one year pictures! Perfect opportunity!

It started out looking like this...

but with this design

And it ended as two adorable dresses for Bug and Mak!

(no afters yet, not until the birthday pictures)

I was a different experience but with the help and supervision of my talented M-I-L we made it work!

OH YEAH! I almost forgot...

I also made 2 super cute headbands out of the scraps to match the dresses. I am just as in love with the headbands as I am the dresses! 

I cant wait for a couple weeks when the pictures are done and I can brag about the dresses... Ok and maybe the girls IN the dresses too!

New Feature

So we have a new feature here on the ol' mommy blog.

See To the right ------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

The Whipple Dictionary.

These are words that I have decided to put up on the blog mostly so that I have them SOMEWHERE. I know some of them might make you lose your appetite :) but they are words that are used on a (for the most part) daily basis around Casa de Whipple.

These are words that Riley (and soon Mak will be making things up) has made up, that Dale made up or words used in his childhood that have snuck their way into our every day vocabulary.

I am excited to see this list grow!

You Know...

Even when I am having a bad day with the girls or otherwise its 

ALWAYS 

these beautiful faces...

That keep me going!

Just a little...

STRESSED

So, the past couple days I feel like I am being repeatedly beaten into the ground by everything.

I think we are doing good then all of a sudden Dales car breaks down and we found out its going to cost around 200 bucks to get fixed when we just put 200 into it to get it running "right." Dale has the worst schedule ever and it is really hard to go on one car with a schedule like his. I am already worried about money and this just tops the cake.

Then I have to worry about my girlie's attitude. She will YELL at me if I tell her no. Today after hurting Makenna THREE TIMES in a row ON PURPOSE to the point of massive screams I tell her to go to bed and she goes to her room screams at me and slams the door. Is this my fault? What on earth have I done to make her so argumentative?! I have tried EVERYTHING!

First was the taking things away, losing privileges. Just more screaming and more tantrums.

Time outs. NOTHING makes her stay in. If i was to do the super nanny thing she would LITERALLY be in there ALL DAY. What good is that going to do when she wont even remember what she was in there for in the first place. Its just a power play and those are just making things worse.

I have tried to use the reward system for good behavior. Getting stars when you listen and do things you are asked to do and getting rewards for a certain amount of stars...but THAT'S not working either! She REFUSES to listen to ANYTHING I say to her. When Dale is here the problems are few and far between but the SECOND he walks out the door she becomes another child.

I am totally lost. I am afraid of what is going to happen if I don't learn how to handle her and work with her. Nothing I do is the right thing!

This is all leading to no where but I am so lost. I don't know how to be a mom to her. She is making it impossible and I don't want this to get worse.

I have never been so stressed in my life.

Just kidding

Have I mentioned how much I HATE the new blogger template crap?!

No?

Well, let me tell you now...


IT SUCKS!!

Bad

So in trying to fix my blog I realized i lost all my links to everyone elses blog. This is going to take a really really long time to fix. If you want to help me out leave a link to your blog in the comments!

PLEASE!
(and thank you)

Not to mention I lost ALL the Riley isms! I wish i would have had them written down somewhere else but I don't.

I suck at this.